Invulnerable
by Rosalynn Gastrell
Summary: One-shot in which Luke Castellan gains his invulnerability, between Battle of the Labyrinth and Last Olympian. My first fic, constructive criticism please! Hope you like it! I suck at titles... I don't own PJO.


**Author's note: This is my first fic, I don't know if it's good, and I am very timidly submitting it to be viewed by any random people, so please please please give my constructive criticism about my writing!I know Luke is supposed to think of Annabeth during the process and I'm not very good at romance so I'm not sure if what I put is okay. And I tried to make it as different as possible from when Percy bathed in the Styx, but I'm not sure if I succeeded... Again, please review! Thanks for reading my story, hope you like it! ~ RG**

**Luke POV**

I was ready.

Standing on the bank of the River Styx with Ethan at my side, my heart thudding in my ears, I thought of all the things the gods had done to wrong me. I hated the gods. I had to do this. But still, terror crept up my spine – there would be no turning back after this.

_Do you doubt the plan? _

Kronos. I wasn't sure if his voice was really there, in my head, or if I was just imagining it. There was the question, again.

_Do you doubt the plan?_

Was I ready? I wondered. My musing, however, was interrupted by the appearance of a man. Tall. Well-muscled. White tunic, bronze armour.

"Ares." The word came out as a hiss, and my hand flew to Backbiter. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ethan reaching for his weapon as well. But when I saw the newcomer's eyes, I knew he wasn't the war god.

"You're Achilles?" The first bearer of the blessing- the curse- that I was about to take on. My eyes darted to his ankle for confirmation.

"I keep a constant eye on this river, should any hero be foolish enough to follow in my accursed footsteps and bathe in the Styx. Heed my warning, boy. No good comes without a price. That is the cruel way of the world. For although you shall, physically, be almost invulnerable, you weaknesses will intensify tenfold. Your physical weakness is simply the manifest of your flaws. Leave this place, demigod! Heed my warning!"

I listened to his speech in silence. Obviously, I knew of the consequences if I went through with what I was about to do. But the consequences if I didn't- the consequences that would be administered by Kronos- those were far worse. And besides, I couldn't show any weakness with our new recruit watching. I still didn't know why Kronos asked him to accompany me. Did he think my talents were inadequate? That upstart is impossible. Styx, I sounded like a god just then.

Ethan drew his sword, and threatened, "Be gone, Achilles. We have no need of your advice. We know what to do."

I glared at Ethan. I didn't need his help. But the ancient hero took his advice and disappeared.

I had chosen a spot under my left arm for my mortal point. I hadn't told anyone, of course. I wasn't stupid. It would be extremely hard to hit once I was in armour. I hoped.

I imagined some magical, invisible connection from that point in my body, and taking a deep breath, I stepped into the river.

The pain was excruciating, unlike anything I had ever experienced in my entire life being a demigod- fifteen years? Burning spasms shot up my arms and legs, but I stood fast. I don't know how I resisted the urge to scream. After a few more agonizing moments, I was fully submerged.

Instinctively, I held my breath. I thought of everything that was important to me, all my goals in my mortal life- I thought of the new world Kronos promised, of finally avenging all the wrongs done to me and my mother. But it wasn't working. I could feel my soul fading away. So I tried again- thinking, this time, of before Kronos. Of Annabeth and Thalia. I don't know why, but I focussed on one moment. The moment when we met Annabeth.

"I promise I'm not going to fail you like our families did us. Deal?"

She was seven years old, then. Who would have thought she'd grow into such a beautiful girl? I focussed on another time at Camp Half-Blood, in sword-fighting class (which she had hated, since she preferred to fight using her knife,) when she had managed to disarm me for the first time, ever.

"Oh my gods. Yes!" She ran up to me and gave me a huge hug- a bit awkward, really, since she was ten and I was seventeen. But I was cool with it. "I did it! I love this! I love sword fighting! I love being a demigod! I love you!" she was screeching like crazy. Obviously she was just saying random things, but I was touched. That memory gave me the strength to persevere. I couldn't let go of the mortal world. I couldn't let myself die like this. I had to go to Annabeth, I had to make sure nothing happened to her in the war. I didn't care what had happened last time I tried, I was going to convince her to join Kronos, just to save my little sister. I pushed upwards, towards the bank, trying to ignore the screaming in my muscles, the throbbing in my head and the pull of the current. Gasping for breath, my head finally emerged above the water. My face felt like it had been scalded, but I used the last of my strength in reaching the shore and lying there.

I scrunched my eyes shut as the pain subsided. My mind was swimming. I had to find Annabeth, I had to warn her of the war. When I opened my eyes again, Ethan was standing above me.

"How do you feel?"

Exhaling, I muttered, "It is done."


End file.
